Taylor Swift wore powdery blue to the Academy Museum Gala on Saturday, October 17, a custom Dior look by Jonathan Anderson, Vanity Fair reported. That pale blue set the tone for October red carpet looks. All month, stars dressed as if it were the 1950s. Pastels came out in one room, and black and white came out in the next.
This is a look back at the month as the fashion press saw it. Every look below credits the outlet that reported it. We cover clothes, not bodies or relationships, so the dresses do the talking.
The October red carpet looks that set the tone
WWD‘s Alex Badia named the theme of the gala in his best-dressed list. He wrote that the carpet “leaned into 50s Hollywood glamour,” with pastels as one of the night’s defining trends. He also tied Swift’s baby blue to the Hitchcock glamour of To Catch a Thief, the 1955 film with Grace Kelly.
Vanity Fair‘s José Criales-Unzueta saw the other half of the story. In his view, black and white dominated the carpet, and the pastels were “a handful of disruptors.” So the month’s two colors arrived on the same night, and they kept showing up through October.
For our full night-of coverage, see our Academy Museum Gala 2026 best looks. Here, we pull the threads together.
The Academy Museum Gala in pastel
This was the sixth annual gala, per Vanity Fair. The co-chairs were Tom Ford, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg, and Kate Capshaw. According to the Los Angeles Times, the honorees were Charlize Theron, with the Icon Award, John Carpenter, with the Luminary Award, and Colman Domingo, with the Vantage Award. The same report said the night raised more than $14 million.
The pastel looks came first in most reviews, so we start there.
Taylor Swift in Dior
Vanity Fair called the custom Anderson look powdery blue. WWD, by contrast, called it baby blue. Later that night, Swift performed “The Fate of Ophelia” live for the first time, Vanity Fair reported.
Gemma Chan in Prada
WWD noted that her pink gown came in the same shade Gwyneth Paltrow wore to the 1999 Oscars.
Teyana Taylor in Schiaparelli
The Los Angeles Times described a “robin’s egg blue Schiaparelli bustier dress.” WWD identified it as fall 2026 couture.
Alexa Demie in Chanel
The Los Angeles Times described a feather-trimmed, mint green custom Chanel gown.
Naomi Ackie in Balenciaga
Vogue said she kicked off the carpet in a purple strapless gown with a tiered, voluminous silhouette.
Vogue‘s verdict matched WWD‘s. The best-dressed stars, it wrote, “leaned into classic Hollywood glamour” with a twist. Several of the most discussed October red carpet looks at the gala came in sugared-almond colors, and each pointed back to a moment in film or Oscar history.
And then in black and white
Meanwhile, the other half of the room went dark, and these October red carpet looks were just as strong. Kim Kardashian wore a vintage Balenciaga dress from 1951, Vanity Fair reported, and noted that she is now working with the stylist Law Roach. It was the most literal mid-century look of the night.
Kendall Jenner wore custom Valentino by Alessandro Michele, with black and white polka dots in different scales, per Vanity Fair. The magazine counted her look and Hunter Schafer’s custom Prada as two of the evening’s “most compelling arguments for black and white evening attire.” In addition, Cole Escola wore a dress from Matthieu Blazy’s 2025 Métiers d’art collection for Chanel.
The Los Angeles Times also added more black. Jessica Biel wore a black velvet halter gown with a thigh-high slit. Adria Arjona chose a strapless black dress with a white neckline. And Vogue described Mia Goth’s slinky black sequin Dior.
There were a few firsts and house moments, too. WWD reported that Elizabeth Debicki wore custom Balmain, the first Hollywood red carpet look from its new designer, Antonin Tron. In addition, Chase Infiniti and Sophie Thatcher both wore Louis Vuitton. WWD also counted Odessa A’zion’s Giorgio Armani as one of the night’s vintage choices.
The honorees also held their own. Theron wore Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann, per Vogue. Domingo, by comparison, wore a Valentino sequin blazer, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Armani also had a big night. Sabrina Carpenter wore a custom Giorgio Armani Privé gown with crystal tassels down the back, per the Los Angeles Times, and Kate Hudson also chose custom Armani Privé. Maya Hawke’s crystal Prada column gown, which Vogue singled out, kept the shine without the color.
Victoria’s Secret goes vintage
The next night, October red carpet looks moved to a runway. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show took place in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18. USA Today noted that the brand revived the show in 2024 after a six-year hiatus.
According to Elle, this was Adam Selman’s second show for the brand and its first return to Los Angeles in 19 years. Selman then built it in chapters, one for each season. One of them, “Vintage Victoria,” sent out pastel bias-cut slips.
Selman leaned into the old-fashioned. “I’m the first one to love nostalgia,” he told Elle. He also joked about his spring chapter: “Florals for spring, groundbreaking, I know.” The line, of course, borrows from The Devil Wears Prada.
The runway’s big moments
USA Today listed the highlights. Bella Hadid opened the show in a floral bra and wings covered in branches and flowers. Kylie Jenner wore the Fantasy Bra, valued at $50 million, with 4,410 diamonds, made with the jeweler Jacob & Co. It marked the return of the Fantasy Bra after eight years. The previous record belonged to Gisele Bündchen, who wore a $15 million bra in 2000.
There were also new faces. Trinity Rodman and Natalia Bryant made their debuts, and Solange Omon walked as the winner of the brand’s YouTube competition, “Angels Among Us.” Adriana Lima closed the show, while Bündchen appeared on video. Megan Thee Stallion, Megan Moroney, Katseye, and Tate McRae performed.
For the full recap, read our Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2026 story.
Pastels came out in one room, and black and white came out in the next.
Why October red carpet looks dressed like the 1950s
The critics didn’t claim a single cause, and we won’t invent one. But the reviews show a few clear habits.
For one thing, the references were specific. WWD named a Hitchcock film and a 1999 Oscar dress. Vanity Fair listed a 1951 Balenciaga and a Métiers d’art piece. So October red carpet looks borrowed from named moments, not from a vague idea of vintage.
The shapes came from that decade, too. Bustier dresses, tiered skirts, and polka dots all appear in the critics’ lists. Even the Victoria’s Secret runway, per Elle, had a chapter named “Vintage Victoria.”
Finally, the colors split cleanly. Pastels read as soft and nostalgic. Black and white, on the other hand, read as formal and graphic. Together they make a palette that photographs well, which matters on any red carpet.
We wrote about this pull toward the past in our essay Why Old Hollywood Glamour Rules Every Red Carpet. October gave that argument plenty of new evidence.
How to wear October red carpet looks to a party
You don’t need couture to borrow the month. Here is a short plan, built from what the critics praised.
Choose a side
Go pastel or go black and white, since mixing both in one outfit dilutes the effect.
Pick one reference
The best looks pointed to one film or one moment. A pale blue dress and long gloves say Grace Kelly without a word.
Try one vintage piece
Kardashian’s Balenciaga was archival. A vintage jacket or bag gives a modern outfit the same weight.
Add texture to black
Biel’s velvet and Domingo’s sequins show how. Black looks richer when the fabric catches light.
Keep the hair polished
Old Hollywood looks need neat hair. A low bun or soft waves finish the picture.
The month in two colors
October ended where it began, in powder blue and black. The pieces we will remember are specific: a Dior look in Swift’s blue, a 1951 Balenciaga on Kardashian, Teyana Taylor’s robin’s egg Schiaparelli, and a pastel slip from “Vintage Victoria.” The holiday party circuit starts next month, and October red carpet looks give it a ready-made reference.